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Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0670.PDF
FLIGHT, APRIL 4, 1929 section of the route are not yet ready, but in the meantime the older " Argosies " are doing the work. From Genoa to Alexandria, Egypt, Short " Calcutta " flying-boats will carry the traffic, and from Aboukir to Karachi the three-engined de Havilland " Hercules" machines will be used. Thus throughout the journey three-engined aircraft of proved reliability will be employed, and the regularity and safety of the route should be assured. From the time-table it is to be noted that the first night is spent on the train between Basle and Genoa. The second (Sunday) night is spent at Naples, the Monday night at Athens, the Tuesday night at Tobruk, the Wednesday night at Gaza, the Thursday night at Basra, and the Friday night at Jask. Thus almost literally the traveller will spend each night in a different country. Yet he will be doing so without any inconvenience, in com- fortable hotels and with sufficient time at his disposal for a thorough night's sleep. The times of departure, although some of them fairly early, are by no means outrageously so. For instance, Croydon is left at 10 a.m., Genoa at 10.30, Naples at 7.45, Athens at 10.30, Tobruk at 6.0, Gaza at 6.30, Basra at 6.0 and Jask at 7.30, all local times. Prospective passengers will doubtless be interested in ascertaining how many hours each day they will have to spend in the aircraft in order to reach India in a week, and the time-table indicates that the number of hours to be flown each day is not by any means excessive. For example, London to Paris is done in 2\ hours, and Paris-Basle in 3 hrs., giving 5| hrs. flying for the first day's journey. Genoa-Rome occupies 3 hrs., and Rome-Naples \\ hrs., so that the second day the passenger will spend but \\ hrs. in the air. On the third day, the stretch from Naples to Corfu will occupy A\ hrs., and Corfu to Athens another 3J hrs., giving 7| hrs. in the air. On the Tuesday 5| hrs. flying will see the passenger in Africa, with Athens to Suda Bay occupy- ing 1\ hrs., and Suda Bay-Tobruk 3J hrs. Tobruk to Alexandria is rather a long stretch, taking A\ hrs., and Aboukir to Gaza accounts for another 3| hrs., with a total of 8 hrs. in the air for the Wednesday. This is quite sufficient, and the traveller will probably be glad of a night's rest at Gaza. The next morning the traveller will have to face the longest " hop " of the whole journey, Gaza to Baghdad, which is estimated to require no less than 1\ hrs. ; yet after a stay of only three-quarters of an hour, the traveller will have to " emplane " again, reaching Basra in another 3 hrs., having spent no less than 10^ hrs. in the air during the Thursday. Friday's flying, from Basra to Jask, totals some 8| hrs., divided into three stages as follows :—Basra- Bushire, 2| hrs. ; Bushire-Lingeh 3f hrs., and Lingeh-Jask 2J hrs. On the Saturday the concluding section, Jask-Karachi, is flown in 7 hrs., divided into two equal stages of "5\ hrs. each, an hour's halt being made at Gwadar. The total flying time for the 5,000 miles or so is in the neighbourhood of 57 hrs., so that the average flying speed for the entire trip is approximately 88 m.p.h. This will probably not interest the passenger very much, who will more likely base his calculations on " lapsed time." This is something like 7 days and nights, and on this basis the average speed is reduced to 30 miles an hour. This is at least 50 per cent, better than a steamer could do, with an advantage to the air of a comfortable bed in an hotel each night. The fare between London and Karachi has been fixed at £130, and assuming the distance to be some 5,000 miles works out at almost exactly 6d. per mile. In view of the fact that this fare includes hotel accommodation and meals, it cannot be said to be excessive by any means. The saving in time is about one week to India, and in the case of Iraq it is as much as 18 days. To a man whose time is valuable, the saving in time will very easily make the use of the air route worth while. The air mail fees strike one as being remarkably reasonable. The surcharge to India is 6d. for a half-ounce letter, so that this can be sent at a total cost of l\d. To Iraq the surcharge is only A\d., and the saving in time is such that it is not worth while sending letters to Iraq by any other means. To Egypt and Palestine the surcharge is only 1\d. per half ounce, which is very cheap indeed. Al- together, the new London-Egypt-India air route is one which deserves the widest possible support, and one which will, we feel sure, rapidly become popular. Let us hope that other routes will be established with as little delay as possible. Investiture at St. James's Palace H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES held an Investiture on behalf of His Majesty the King at St. James's Palace on March 28. The following were amongst those severally introduced into the presence of the Prince of Wales, when His Royal Highness invested them, on behalf of the King, with the respective Divisions of the Orders into which they have been admitted :— Order of the Bath Companion—Military Division ;—Air Commodore Thomas Higgins. Order of the British Empire Military Division Knight Grand Cross.—Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Game. Commanders :—Group-Capt. Eric Nanson, R.A.F., and Wing Commander Hazelton Nicholl, R.A.F. The Prince of Wales, on behalf of His Majesty, then con- ferred Decorations as follows :— Royal Red Cross MembersMiss Marion Welch, Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service. Distinguished Flying Cross Flight-Lieut. George Stringer, R.A.F. Air Force Cross Sqdr.-Ldr. Edward Burling, R.A.F., Flight-Lieut. Clifford Busk, R.A.F., and Flight-Lieut. Sydney Pope, R.A.F. The following were also amongst those present :—Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond (Principal Air Aide-de- Camp), and Group-Capt. P. F. M. Fellowes (Aide-de-Camp in Waiting). Montreal Booming MONTREAL will become the aviation centre of Canada under an agreement between International Airways of Canada, Canadian Vickers, Ltd., and the Fairchild aviation firm. Manchester Aerodrome CAPTAIN KINGWELL, the chief pilot of Northern Airways, Ltd., made the first aeroplane landing at Manchester's temporary aerodrome at Wythenshawe on April 2, having flown from Hendon on his way to Glasgow. New American Air Line TRIMOTOR AIRWAYS, INC., of New York, intends to establish an air service between New York and Rio de Janeiro. A fleet of eight seaplanes for the service is already in course of construction, each machine being capable oi carrying 32 passengers.
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